However, this also introduced the question of whether the states to be created out of the purchase should be admitted to the union as slave or free states. (8) Forty years before the American Civil War, the tension between the North and South became more apparent when the expansion of slavery was being debated for the western states. In order to balance the power between slave and free states, President James Monroe signed the Missouri Compromise in 1820 admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, thereby maintaining a balance of twelve slave and twelve free states. With the exception of Missouri, this law prohibited slavery above the Louisiana Territory. (7) This also eliminated slavery in the western territories due to the proviso of the 36 degrees 30 minutes line. The Missouri Compromise became a “question of politics, economics, and morals for the citizens of the United States.”…”The main debate over the compromise revolved around political and economic power and fears of dissolution of the union. There were also concerns over the constitutional rights of the states. The South felt that the continuation of slavery in the expanded territories would help with the agricultural growth that was substantiated by slavery, while the northern states felt that slavery in the western territories would lead to an unfair advantage to large …show more content…
The Monroe Doctrine states the United States will not tolerate European powers and helps settle disputes in modern day affairs. The Missouri Compromise held the United States together for a short while but was declared unlawful. Eventually slavery created turmoil within the United States and created a Civil War between the North and the